Kalonzo urges opposition unity and sacrifice after being booed at Sifuna event

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 30 — Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has urged opposition leaders to set aside personal ambitions and prepare to sacrifice for a united presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Kalonzo made the call after being booed by delegates during the unveiling of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s presidential secretariat in Nairobi on Friday.

He faced a hostile reception as he cautioned against prematurely declaring Sifuna the opposition’s presidential candidate, prompting the Senator to intervene and calm the crowd.

The Wiper leader insisted he was not opposed to Sifuna’s presidential ambitions but maintained that the opposition must follow an agreed process in selecting its flagbearer.

He said he remained interested in the presidency but would support Sifuna or another opposition leader if they emerged as the coalition’s preferred candidate.

“My only ambition is to make sure that misrule by the so-called broad-based administration goes home. I will stand only with him because it must be a team,” Kalonzo said.

He reminded the gathering that he had already received a mandate to pursue the presidency at a delegates’ conference held on October 10 last year.

“On the 10th of October last year at a delegates conference, I was given the mandate to run for the president. So, be patient. I want my younger brother to follow the proper procedure, nothing else,” he said.

Kalonzo’s remarks followed comments by former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa that appeared to suggest Sifuna could become the opposition’s presidential candidate.

The Wiper leader cautioned against making such a declaration before the opposition had agreed on a candidate, saying Sifuna’s position would be formalised at Linda Mwananchi’s National Delegates Convention scheduled for November 13.

Despite the differences, Kalonzo expressed confidence in Sifuna’s political prospects, suggesting the senator could eventually become Kenya’s sixth president.

“He could very well end up being the sixth president,” he said, adding that he would gladly support Sifuna if it meant rescuing the country from what he described as misrule and the abduction of young people.

Kalonzo also declared his willingness to support Wamalwa should the former Cabinet Secretary emerge as the opposition’s preferred candidate.

“If it is my brother Eugene Wamalwa, because he’s from the Luhya nation and he’s a presidential candidate, I will stand by him,” he said.

Opposition divisions

The Wiper leader warned that the opposition could not approach the 2027 elections as a collection of individual political ambitions, insisting that unity and sacrifice would be critical to defeating President William Ruto.

“My friends, the task ahead of us is so critical, so poignant that we must be prepared to sacrifice everything we have and speak with one voice,” he said.

He urged opposition politicians to avoid sycophancy and engage in honest consultations, saying they should be prepared to support whoever emerged through an agreed selection process.

“Let us all be realistic and do away with unnecessary sycophancy,” he said.

Kalonzo further argued that the opposition needed a broad-based coalition capable of attracting support from across the country, noting that a presidential candidate must secure more than half of the total votes cast to win in the first round.

“To win requires 50 per cent of the total vote plus one. Every vote counts,” he said.

He also recalled supporting Sifuna during his political battles, including what he described as an illegal administrative process and the political fallout surrounding the senator’s impeachment proceedings.

2002 political moment

Beyond the presidential contest, Kalonzo called for a return to constitutionalism and the rule of law, saying Kenya was approaching a major political turning point comparable to the period preceding the 2002 General Election.

He attributed the changing political mood to dissatisfaction among young people, particularly Generation Z, following their participation in anti-government protests.

“I now see another 2002 moment, but this time because our young people, the Gen Zs, are still angry. They’re still wondering what is wrong with our country,” he said.

Kalonzo assured young people that the opposition would not abandon them, arguing that a country governed under the rule of law would guarantee equality and equal opportunities.

“We want to assure them that we will never leave our young people behind,” he said.

He also conveyed greetings and messages of support from former Defence Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua and Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi, whom he said were part of broader opposition efforts.

Kalonzo congratulated Sifuna on the launch of the secretariat, describing it as an important step in organising the movement’s political activities.

Opposition leaders are intensifying consultations on a possible joint presidential candidate to challenge Ruto in the 2027 General Election, with competing ambitions emerging as a key test of the bloc’s unity.